DAILY DIGEST for 09-05-2020 - USEFUL FOR ALL COMPETITIVE EXAMS || PT's IAS Acedamy

SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. COVID-19 Updates - 103 deaths, 3,390 new cases in a day; recovery rate hits 29.36% – With a recovery rate now standing at 29.36 %, India registered 3,390 new COVID positive cases with 103 deaths taking the total number to 56,342 cases and 1,886 deaths. The country currently has 37,916 active cases and so far a total of 16,540 people have been cured. Data from State Health Departments put the nationwide death toll at 1,963 with a total number of 58,895 cases of which 38,354 are active cases. Maharashtra reported 1,089 new patients, taking the total tally to 19,063. The State also reported 37 more deaths, taking the death toll to 731. Gujarat reported 390 new cases, taking its tally to 7,403, while the death toll rose to 449 with 24 more deaths in the last 24 hours.
2. COVID-19 Updates - 16 M.P. migrants run over by train near Aurangabad – Sixteen migrant labourers, who were trying to return to their home State Madhya Pradesh on foot, were killed on Friday when a goods train ran over them between Jalna and Aurangabad districts, nearly 260 km from here. One was seriously injured, while three escaped. All were aged between 20 and 30 and hailed from Umaria and Shahdol districts. They were working at a steel firm in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) zone in Jalna district. According to the authorities, the labourers left Jalna in Maharashtra and walked on the road until Badnapur and then moved to the track. They decided to stop after walking around 36 km and fell asleep at the spot.
3. COVID-19 Updates - Supreme Court asks States to consider online sale of liquor – The Supreme Court left it open for the States to consider online sales and home delivery of liquor during the COVID-19 lockdown to facilitate physical distancing. Dismissing a petition filed against a government circular of May 1, allowing direct contact sales of liquor, a three-judge Bench left it to the discretion of the States to create a mechanism for online purchase and home delivery.” In his petition, Guruswamy Nataraj said, through his counsel Sai Deepak and Anindita Mitra, that there were 70,000 liquor vends and shops nationwide, and over five crore people had purchased liquor from them. He said there had been a palpable rise in COVID-19 cases since these shops were opened.
4. LG Polymers gas leak case - Green tribunal directs LG Polymers to deposit Rs. 50 cr. – The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed LG Polymers India to deposit an initial amount of Rs. 50 crore for the damage caused by the gas leak at its plant in Vishakhapatnam, which left at least 11 people dead and affected several others. A Bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, issued notice to the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, the Central Pollution Control Board and the Union Ministry of Environment, seeking their response by May 18. It also constituted a five-member fact-finding committee, to be headed by a former judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, to probe the incident, which happened early on Thursday, and submit a report. The committee was directed to inspect the site “at the earliest”.
5. US-Afghanistan-Taliban Updates - U.S. special envoy urges India to talk to Taliban – India should discuss its concerns on terrorism directly with the Taliban, said U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, adding that he had discussed how India could play a “more active role” in the Afghan reconciliation process, during his talks in Delhi.
6. Babri Masjid demolition case update - Deliver Babri case verdict by Aug. 31: SC – The Supreme Court directed a CBI court trying senior BJP leaders for the Babri Masjid demolition to deliver the judgment by August 31, 2020. Prominent BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders like L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti are accused of criminal conspiracy which led to the demolition of the 16th century Babri mosque by kar sevaks in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. A Bench led by Justice Rohinton F. Nariman took cognisance of a letter from CBI judge S.K. Yadav through videoconferencing and said, “... given the original time frame and the extended time frame, the effort must now be to complete the proceedings and deliver judgment latest by August 31, 2020.” The Bench said Mr. Yadav should take advantage of videoconferencing facility to complete the evidence in the trial and wind up the case.
7. Operation Vande Bharat / Samudra Setu Updates - Navy ship with 698 evacuees leaves Male – Navy ship INS Jalashwa departed from the Port of Malé in Maldives on Friday with 698 Indians on board, and is scheduled to reach Kochi on May 10. The 698 include 595 men, 103 women, including 19 pregnant women. Mr. Sudhir termed the entire effort a “very complex operation” since Indians are spread over 200 islands across the 800 km length of the Maldives and there are restrictions in place on island to island movement. In all about 1800-2000 Indians would be evacuated from Maldives and priority was being given to compelling cases such as medical, senior citizens, family emergencies and jobless. About 4500 Indian community members out of approximately 27,000 have conveyed their wish to travel back.
8. Operation Vande Bharat / Samudra Setu Updates – More European nations to cover – The ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ to evacuate Indian citizens is expected to cover Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Spain and east Europe in the third week of May. The process of repatriation, which is focused on the Gulf and the South Asian regions, began on Thursday and is expected to involve 64 flights, bringing back 15,000 nationals from different parts of the world through 14 Indian airports.
9. Operation Vande Bharat / Samudra Setu Updates – Phase-I –  27 flights are scheduled to take off from the Gulf countries and 7 flights from Bangladesh. A special Air India charter flight brought 167 students from Dhaka to Srinagar. Most of the students were enrolled in medical schools in the capital of Bangladesh. During the same time, 14 non-scheduled commercial flights are reserved for stranded Indians from Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. At the same time, seven flights shall take off for New York, Washington, DC, Chicago and San Francisco. Seven other flights will airlift Indians from London.
10. COVID-19 Updates - 20.5 million Americans lost job in April – The U.S. economy lost a staggering 20.5 million jobs in April, the steepest plunge in payrolls since the Great Depression. The Labor Department’s closely watched monthly employment report also showed the unemployment rate surging to 14.7% last month, shattering the post-World War Two record of 10.8% touched in November 1982. It strengthened analysts' views of a slow recovery from the recession caused by lockdowns imposed by States and local governments in mid-March to curb the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus.

SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

1. CONSTITUTION AND LAW (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)

1.1 Many migrants lost lives due to long walk and hunger: Karnataka HC directs government to inform policy on special trains

• The Karnataka High Court has asked the state government to place on record its policy laying down the manner in which all the migrant workers who wish to travel back to their home States can be allowed to travel back to their respective States.
• A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice B V Nagarathna while hearing a plea filed by All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU).
• On May 5, the state government had late evening decided to cancel the special trains started to transport migrant labourers to their home states. After much uproar by citizens on Thursday the government resumed the service.
• The court also directed the state to act on complaints received of contractors or employers confining the migrant workers to their shelters and not permitting them to go to their respective home States.The State Government will have to attend to such complaints and will have to ensure that the migrants are not harassed in this fashion.
• The bench will further hear the plea on May 12.

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2. ECONOMY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper

2.1  Labour Laws Dilution - Amid the recent lockdown, an increasing number of states that include UP, MP, Rajasthan and Gujarat have pushed through changes to their labour laws by way of ordinances or executive orders. 

• Since labour is a concurrent subject under the Constitution of India, states can frame their own laws but need the approval of the Central government.
• The Uttar Pradesh government has approved an Ordinance exempting businesses from the purview of all the labour laws except few for the next three years. The labour laws related to settling industrial disputes, occupational safety, health and working conditions of workers, and those related to trade unions, contract workers, and migrant labourers will become defunct but laws related to bonded labour, deployment of women and children and timely payment of salaries will not be relaxed. The changes in the labour laws will apply to both the existing businesses and the new factories being set up in the state.
• The Madhya Pradesh government has also suspended many labour laws for the next 1000 days.  
• Some of the amendments are – 

1. Employers can increase working hours in factories from 8 to 12 hours and are also allowed up to 72 hours a week in overtime, subject to the will of employees. 
2. The factory registration now will be done in a day, instead of 30 days and the licence should be renewed after 10 years, instead of a year.
3. There is also the provision of penalty on officials not complying with the deadline.
4. Industrial Units will be exempted from majority of the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. 
5. The Labour Department or the labour court will not interfere in the action taken by industries. 
6. Contractors employing less than 50 workers will be able to work without registration under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970.

• Major relaxations to new industrial units are –

1. Exempted from provisions on ‘right of workers’.
2. Exempted from the requirement of keeping registers and inspections and can change shifts at their convenience.
3. Employers are exempt from penalties in case of violation of labour laws.

• Logic behind the changes in Labour Laws - To attract investment and encourage industrial activity. To increase the revenue of states which have fallen due to closure of industrial units during Covid-19 lockdown.
• Labour reform has been a demand of Industries for a long time but the labour law changes will allow more factories to operate without following safety and health norms and give a free hand to new companies to “keep labourers in service as per their convenience”. It may create insecurity among the workers. The changes will be violation of the Fundamental Rights of the workers and may lead to desperate conditions for workers.

2.2 80-km long Dharchula (Uttarakhand)–Lipulekh (China Border) road link curtailing Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage time inaugurated.

2.3 COVID-19 pandemic: Beijing-headquartered Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approves USD 500 million loan for India.

2.4 Government allowed packaging of grains in used gunny sacks, plastic bags this procurement season because of shortage of jute bags.

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3. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)

3.1 Industrial Disasters - Styrene vapour leak from LG Polymers plant at R. R. Venkatapuram village in Visakhapatnam district of AP

• The possible reason for gas leak is stagnation and changes in temperature inside the storage tank that could have resulted in auto polymerization (chemical reaction) and vapourisation of the styrene.
• Styrene - Styrene is an organic compound with the formula C8H8. It is a derivative of benzene (C6H6). It is stored in factories as a liquid, but evaporates easily, and has to be kept at temperatures under 20°C. It is found in vehicle exhaust, cigarette smoke, and in natural foods like fruits and vegetables. It is a flammable liquid that is used in the manufacturing of polystyrene plastics, fiberglass, rubber, and latex.
• Dangers of Styrene - Short term exposure of it can result in respiratory problems, irritation in the eyes, irritation in the mucous membrane, and gastrointestinal issues. Long-term exposure could drastically affect the central nervous system and lead to other related problems like peripheral neuropathy. It could also lead to cancer and depression in some cases but there is no sufficient evidence of an association between styrene exposure and an increased risk of leukemia and lymphoma.
• As per National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), over 130 significant chemical accidents have been reported in recent history. There are over 1861 Major Accident Hazard (MAH) units spread across 301 districts and 25 states and three Union Territories in all zones of the country.
• Laws related to Industrial Disaster in India –  

1. At the time of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was the only relevant law specifying criminal liability for such incidents. After that Bhopal Gas Leak (Processing of Claims) Act, 1985  gives powers to the central government to secure the claims arising out of or connected with the Bhopal gas tragedy. Under the provisions of this Act, such claims are dealt with speedily and equitably.
2. The Environment Protection Act, 1986 gives powers to the central government to undertake measures for improving the environment and set standards and inspect industrial units.
3. The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 is an insurance meant to provide relief to persons affected by accidents that occur while handling hazardous substances.
4. Under the National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997 act the National Environment Appellate Authority can hear appeals regarding the restriction of areas in which any industries, operations or processes or class of industries shall not be carried out or shall be carried out subject to certain safeguards under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
5. National Green Tribunal, 2010 provided for the establishment of the National Green Tribunal for effective and expeditious disposal of cases related to environmental protection and conservation of forests.

• Bhopal Gas Tragedy – It was a gas leak incident on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is considered to be the world's worst industrial disaster. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas. The highly toxic substance made its way into and around the small towns located near the plant. The official immediate death toll was 2,259. In 2008, the Government of Madhya Pradesh had paid compensation to the family members of 3,787 victims killed in the gas release, and to 574,366 injured victims.

 3.2 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) extends term of environmentalist and actor-producer Dia Mirza as National Goodwill Ambassador for another 2 years.

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4. FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)

4.1 World War II Victory Day: Britain commemorates 75th anniversary with tributes to 87,000 Indian martyrs on May 8

• Russian President Vladimir Putin awards North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a commemorative war medal marking the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany
• UN observing ‘Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War’ on May 8-9.
• Victory in Europe Day (VE Day in UK or V-E Day in US), is a day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the end of World War II in Europe.
• VE Day is celebrated across Western European states on 8 May, with several countries observing public holidays on the day each year, variously called Victory Over Fascism Day, Liberation Day or simply Victory Day.
• Russia, Belarus, and Serbia celebrate on 9 May, as do several former Soviet bloc countries. Israel also marks VE Day on 9 May, as a result of the large number of immigrants from the former Soviet bloc, although it is not a public holiday. The term VE Day existed as early as September 1944,[1] in anticipation of victory. 

4.2 Iraq’s Parliament appoints former intelligence chief Mustafa Khadimi as the new prime minister.

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5. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES (Prelims, GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3)

5.1 Not Available Today

6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Roundup - Sports

• Footballer Chuni Goswami dies at 82 in Kolkata - Chuni Goswami, captain of Indian football team that won gold medal for the last time at the Jakarta Asian Games in 1962, died at the age of 82 in Kolkata on April 30, 2020. He also played for Bengal in Ranji Trophy cricket. He won Arjuna award in 1963 and Padma Shri in 1983. He scored 9 goals for Indian in 30 appearances.
• India loses hosting rights of the 2021 men’s world boxing championship to Serbia - India on April 28, 2020 lost the hosting rights of the 2021 men’s world boxing championship to Serbia after the national federation failed to pay the host fee, prompting the International Boxing Association (AIBA) to terminate the agreement signed in 2017.
• PCB bans Umar Akmal for three years for failing to report corrupt approaches - Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal was on April 27, 2020 banned for three years by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for failing to report corrupt approaches ahead of the country’s premier T20 league this year.
• Cricket: Australia bans use of saliva, sweat to shine ball - Australia will not allow the use of saliva or sweat to shine the ball once cricket training resumes in the post COVID-19 world, says a framework released by the federal government regarding the staged return of sports amid the pandemic.

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7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Former dreaded dacoit Mohar Singh dies aged 92 in Bhind district of MP.

 7.2 COVID-19: Govt starts Aarogya Setu IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System) services to cater to people having feature phone or landline.

7.3 Jharkhand bans manufacture, sale and storage of 11 brands of pan masala for a year

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8. SOCIAL ISSUES (Prelims, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2)

8.1 World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day observed on May 8. 

• May 8 is birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of Red Cross and the winner of first Nobel Peace Prize (1901).
• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland, and a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signatories) to the Geneva Convention of 1949 and its Additional Protocols of 1977 (Protocol I, Protocol II) and 2005 have given the ICRC a mandate to protect victims of international and internal armed conflicts. Such victims include war wounded, prisoners, refugees, civilians, and other non-combatants.
• Henry Dunant was a Swiss humanitarian, businessman and social activist. He was the visionary, promoter and co-founder of the Red Cross. During a business trip in 1859, Dunant was witness to the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in modern-day Italy. The 1864 Geneva Convention was based on Dunant's idea for an independent organisation to care for wounded soldiers. Dunant was the founder of the Swiss branch of the Young Men's Christian Association YMCA. In 1901 he received the first Nobel Peace Prize together with Frédéric Passy, making Dunant the first Swiss Nobel laureate.

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9. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3)

9.1 Professor Saurabh Lodha of IIT Bombay receives Young Career Award in Nano Science & Technology 2020 instituted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

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10. FACTS, CHARTS, RANKINGS and EDITORIALS (Prelims + GS Mains)

10.1 Reports/ Rankings – Not Available Today

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• P. V. Sindhu was named ambassador for Badminton World Federation (BWF)’s ‘i am badminton’ awareness campaign in April 2020.
• Bureaucrat Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi has been appointed as Chemicals and Petrochemicals Secretary.
• Central government recently laid down rules for domicile in J&K. Anyone who has resided for 15 years in the Union Territory is a domicile.
• The Union Cabinet recently approved the Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters Scheme.
• State Bank of India recently fixed interest rate on all savings bank (SB) accounts to 3% and ended maintenance of Average Monthly Balance (AMB).

10.3 Today's best editorials to read

• We offer you 7 excellent editorials from across 10 newspapers we have scanned. 

CLICK HERE TO OPEN AND READ!

Source & Credits: PTeducation.com

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